| Another day and another win by the Dodgers. LA | | | | Santana has a 4.31 ERA since this year's break, |
| won its 11th consecutive game last night, as Greg | | | | but also has a 3-0 record as the Twins have won |
| Maddux won his Dodger Stadium debut 4-2 over | | | | all five of his outings. Minnesota has won 14 of |
| the Rockies. You are all familiar with this | | | | Santana's last 15 starts and his strikeout-to-walk |
| ever-growing story. LA lost 13 of 14 to open the | | | | ratio on the season is an amazing 168-35. He's 8-2 |
| season's second half but continues to lead the | | | | with a 2.66 ERA in 19 career appearances against |
| way in MLB these days with the longest active | | | | the Tigers, including 13 starts. While Santana has |
| winning streak of any team. The A's with six | | | | fared well against the Tigers, Bonderman has had |
| straight wins and the Angels with four straight | | | | problems versus Minnesota. He is 2-5 with a 6.17 |
| wins are the only teams with winning streaks of | | | | ERA and a .336 opponent batting average in 10 |
| greater than three. | | | | career appearances against the Twins. |
| My free play for Wednesday is on the LA | | | | The White Sox beat the Yanks last night 6-5 in 11 |
| Dodgers over the Col Rockies at 10:10 ET. It's a | | | | innings, tying the game on a Paul Kornerko HR in |
| HUGE Wednesday for me in the AL, as I open | | | | the 9th (River's third blown save in 31 chances |
| with my 15* AL Getaway Day Game of the | | | | this year). It was Chicago's first win in four tries |
| Month and close with my 20* AL Game of the | | | | this year vs New York and just the team's ninth |
| Month (lone 20* AL game in the month of | | | | win in 23 games since the break. Tonight on ESPN |
| August). I'm on a 4-0 run with my 20* AL and NL | | | | at 8:05 ET, it's Randy Johnson against Jon Garland. |
| Games of the Month (won both in May and July | | | | Johnson owns a 5.11 ERA on the year but he's still |
| while passing in the IL-heavy month of June), so | | | | 11-9 on the season with the Yankees winning 14 |
| DON'T miss out! | | | | of his 24 starts. |
| The amazing thing about LA's current run is that | | | | Jon Garland goes for the White Sox and he hasn't |
| bettors have been able to play 'on' LA, without | | | | lost since June 8 (to Detroit). He's posted a 3.26 |
| paying a premium. LA began its winning streak | | | | ERA over his last nine starts with a 8-0 record. |
| with a three-game home sweep of the Nationals | | | | Despite Chicago's recent struggles, it should be |
| from 7/28-7/30, never opening as more than | | | | noted the White Sox are 31-19 (.620) against |
| $1.40-favorite. The team then won consecutive | | | | teams that currently have a winning record. |
| three-game series at Cincinnati and Florida, each | | | | That's the best record of its kind for any major |
| time opening as underdogs. The Dodgers have | | | | league team. |
| begun this week 2-0, opening as $1.60-favorites | | | | CFB notes |
| on Monday, $1.50 last night and opened tonight at | | | | Their were a total of 23 schools which entered |
| minus-$1.25! | | | | the 2005 season with new head coaches last |
| The Royals snapped their four-game losing streak | | | | year. There were only 10 new hires this year but |
| last night, by beating the Red Sox 6-4. That | | | | then with the tragic death of Northwestern's |
| leaves the Indians and Rangers, who have both | | | | Randy Walker over the summer, this year's |
| lost four straight, with MLB's longest active losing | | | | "coaching carousel" grew to 11. In a special |
| streak. The Indians are a most interesting case, | | | | weekend edition of Ness Notes (available |
| as although four teams in MLB own worse overall | | | | Saturday morning), I'll preview all 11 schools and |
| records than Cleveland's 47-64 mark, the Indians | | | | coaches. |
| are minus-$2,513 (at $100/game) when it comes | | | | The 23 coaching changes of last year broke down |
| to the "moneyline" standings. | | | | like this. There were 10 schools bringing in coaches |
| The Pirates come in with the second-worst | | | | with previous experience (Spurrier at South |
| moneyline record at minus-$2,124. While seven | | | | Carolina and Meyer at Florida being the biggest |
| other AL teams having losing moneyline records, | | | | names) and 13 schools which were giving their |
| the next-worst team to the Indians are the | | | | 'guys' their first head coaching job at the Division |
| Orioles, who at 51-63, are just minus-$608. That's | | | | I-A level. Of course the biggest name in that |
| quite a gap ($1,905)! A quick check at the top of | | | | group was Notre Dame's Charlie Weis. |
| the moneyline standings shows the Tigers at a | | | | From the group of 10 with previous experience, |
| dominating plus-$3,393, the Twins in second at | | | | Meyer at Florida (7-5), Miles at LSU (9-3) and |
| plus-$1,937 and the Mets in third at plus-$1,363. | | | | Spurrier at South Carolina (6-5), took over teams |
| The Mets are far and away the NL leader in this | | | | which had produced winning records in 2004. |
| department, as their closest pursuer is the 57-56 | | | | Meyer, Miles and Spurrier all improved their |
| Arizona D'backs, who check in at plus-$531. | | | | school's records in 2005, going a combined 27-10 |
| Wondering about those red-hot Dodgers? The | | | | SU (compared to 22-13), although their ATS |
| team's 11-game winning streak still leaves them | | | | records were nearly identical from the previous |
| slightly on the minus-side, at minus-$49. For the | | | | year, 17-17-2 compared to 17-17-1! |
| record, the Dodgers happen to be MLB's biggest | | | | From the group of seven which inherited teams |
| 'over' team, going 64-44-5 on the year. | | | | with losing records from 2004, the 2005 season |
| Other highlights from last night included Minnesota's | | | | was not an improvement as a whole. The |
| 4-2 win over the Tigers. It gives Minnesota a | | | | combined records of the seven schools in 2004 |
| 41-13 record over its last 54-games (one-third of | | | | were 22-55 SU and 31-43 ATS. The 2005 records |
| MLB's 162-game schedule). The New York | | | | of those same schools totaled 20-58 SU and |
| Yankees of 1998 own the best 54-game record | | | | 28-46-1 ATS. |
| of any team (45-9) since MLB adopted a | | | | Of note was Hal Mumme who took over a New |
| 162-game schedule in the 1961 season. | | | | Mexico State team that was 5-6 SU and 6-5 ATS |
| The Mets beat the Padres last night 3-2. Met | | | | in 2004 but went 0-12 and 2-10 ATS in 2005. On |
| starter Steve Trachsel is now 9-1 in his last 11 | | | | the flip side there was Walt Harris of Stanford. |
| starts (since June 9), despite an earned run | | | | The Cardinal were 4-7 (6-5) in 2004 and while |
| average of 5.40 over that span. Trachsel leads | | | | they only went 5-6 in 2005, they were an |
| the major league in wins over that span, but | | | | impressive 7-2-1 ATS. |
| ranks 85th in ERA among pitchers with at least | | | | There were 13 coaches last year making their |
| 50 innings pitched. | | | | Division I-A debuts. Four were taking over schools |
| The Marlins beat the Nationals last night 4-2, as | | | | which were coming off winning records in 2004, |
| rookie Ricky Nolasco won his 10th game. I | | | | Miami-Ohio, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh and Utah. |
| mentioned Detroit's rookie pitchers yesterday and | | | | All four of those teams did worse in 2005, with |
| would be remiss if I didn't mention what's going on | | | | Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh going from 7-5 to |
| in South Florida. Florida rookies have combined for | | | | 4-7 and 8-4 to 5-6, respectively. Combined, the |
| 35 wins this season, eight more than any other | | | | four teams fell from collective records of 35-14 |
| major league team (Detroit is next with 27) and | | | | SU (29-18 ATS) in 2004 to 23-22 SU (19-24 |
| 21 more than any other National League team | | | | ATS). |
| (Chicago is next with 14). | | | | That leaves the nine coaches who took over |
| Wednesday's MLB schedule is again full with | | | | teams with losing records from 2004. Those |
| 15-games on the menu. Two AL games headline | | | | schools posted collective records of 35-67 SU |
| the card. The Twins and Tigers play the rubber | | | | (41-60 ATS) in 2004 and actually improved in |
| game of their series in Detroit at 7:05 ET. Johan | | | | 2005, going a collective 40-61 SU and 48-48-1 |
| Santana (12-5,3.22) starts for Minnesota and | | | | ATS. Leading the way was Notre Dame which |
| Jeremy Bonderman (11-5, 3.81) for Detroit. | | | | went from 6-6 (6-6) to 9-3 (7-5) under Charlie |
| Santana has been nearly unbeatable in the | | | | Weis. With less fanfare, Skip Holtz at East |
| season's second half the last few years, going | | | | Carolina, led the Pirates to a 5-6 mark as well as |
| 33-3 with a 2.31 ERA in 49 starts after the break | | | | a very impressive 8-3 ATS record (team was |
| since 2003. | | | | 2-9 SU and 5-6 ATS in 2004). |